Rushing (going faster than necessary) can lead to accidents, misunderstanding and problems. By thinking then proceeding at a good and steady pace we can reach our destination or project objective safely and productively. This takes continuous practice and the understanding of what the components of rushing actually are for us. There is physical rushing and mental rushing. Today we will focus on the causes of physical rushing. To prevent physical rushing, we first need to understand why it occurs.

When We Cause The Problem

Rushing occurs when:

We haven’t preplanned our projects.

We have more on our plate than we originally anticipated.

We have lost track of time and have to catch up.

We become ill or have an unexpected family emergency.

When Others Cause The Problem

We can also be in a rushed state because of other people. Some examples are:

Others who have not fulfilled their part of the project

Others who fail to show up ready or on time

Others who become ill or have a family emergency

Other Causes of Rushing

We can also be rushing because:

The supplies or material have not arrived. This could be due to weather, transportation issues or even paperwork delays.

The supplies delivered are wrong or damaged.

Something broke unexpectedly and now a delay has set in.

By understanding the causes of physical rushing, and being aware of the potential signals, we can develop strategies to prevent, avoid or timetable some “extra” time in our plan to account for these potential problems. By making adjustments to our initial timetable or along the way we can complete our projects safely.

2 responses to “Time to Stop Rushing Around”

I think Terry makes all excellent points here on physical rushing. I’ve found from my own experience a factor that significantly increases your chances of an accident when you are also physically rushing. That factor occurs when you are rushing and you are operating outside the envelope of your usual routine. For example, once I was rushing and had altered my routine and route by running an errand before going to a meeting. I ended up getting into a car accident that was my fault. If you are doing something out of the ordinary and your usual routine, take extra prudent caution because you are even more at risk of suffering an accident.